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Have you ever walked through a season where your life feels like a blur ~ like you have been running here and there, trying to keep up with the pace (whether real or perceived) ~ where you believe you can’t think anymore or handle one more issue of life? That series of days, weeks or months where the work schedules/demands, family commitments, church commitments, special holidays and milestone events of life feel as if they have drained you of everything?

When I get into that ‘blur’ ~ feeling like life is out-of-control and there’s nothing left within me, I inevitably realize that I have disconnected from my priority ~ God first! Because I realize that in the craziness of life, I have left little room for quiet, refreshing time with my Father God. I may pray as I run, but I have forgotten to seek His guidance and wisdom. I am no longer in the shadow of His comfort, His peace, His love! And as things are falling apart around me, I realize how much I miss HIM!

That is when I STOP everything, and reset my priorities.

Praise God, HE loves us so much! When I stop, I can sit, breathe, share my heart and concerns with Him, for He listens and hears them all (1 John 5:14-15). And, when I take that time, I am refreshed, I find clarity and everything else in life falls into place.

Oh, I encourage you. The saying may have been ‘stop and smell the roses’ but I encourage you, stop, reset your priorities, and reclaim your peace, your clarity, and most importantly, your first love in God.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand]. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust [with great confidence, and on whom I rely]!” Psalm 91:1 Amplified

“Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].” Philippians 4:6-7

For someone like me who is all about encouragement, the title ‘steal, kill and destroy‘ sounds a bit dark. But as I watch and listen to what’s going on in the world, I can’t help but think of this scripture, which begins with:

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy…” John 10:10a

The thief, known more commonly as satan, ruler or the prince of this world, has a job description, and it is to steal, kill and destroy us.

You’ll find evidence of this destruction in the daily news ~ mall/school shootings; children killing parents/each other; terrorism; deadly addictions; cheating and deceiving in ways we could never have imagined before; weather pattern changes with destructive outcomes; and on and on the list could go. And think of the violent movies, tv dramas and video games that offer even more creative ways to destroy or devalue life; the medication ads that tell us how sick we are, and how much sicker we’ll become while taking the meds; and listen to death/darkness and destruction in the lyrics of songs.

At times, we shake our heads in disbelief, and ask ourselves what is this world coming to? Yet I remember my dad asking that same question when I was a little girl. Truth is that this destructive path has been with us ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, when they transferred their God-given authority(Genesis 1:26)over to the ‘prince’ of this world. But let me encourage you, for Jesus continued to say:

“… I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” John 10:10b (Amplified)

Jesus came … to reclaim our God-given authority! Jesus came to save us, to walk through the struggles of life with us; to fill us with His peace, joy and hope, here and now … and for eternity! Think about this amazing gift in the midst of what we see and hear, knowing that satan is defeated.

“Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us, no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud.
A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ,
like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.
God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son.
He didn’t deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition,
entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity
in order to set it right once and for all.”
Romans 8:1-4 (The Message)

Resources:Ephesians 1:17-23 [I, Paul] “pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty powerthat raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ…”

Time flies by so quickly. Thanksgiving, our grandson’s birthday, Christmas, New Year’s Eve/Day, work and life ~ all passed in a flash, and the blog I’d planned for mid November, still rolls through my thought process. And, meanwhile there are so many new thoughts, memories and ideas jumping on board. So, first of all …Greetings!

Happy, Blessed, Healthy and Prosperous New Yearto one and all!!

As I take a breath this morning, think back at the last couple months of blessings and joy ~ activity and accomplishments, I can’t help but be grateful to God. To know how much He loves us, provides, and attends to all that concerns us!

Which brings me to my most favorite recent memory ~ Christmas Eve ~ the time when we are blessed with our children and grandchildren all together in our home! Ahhh!

Vincent, who just turned 3 likes saying grace with Grampy and Grammy, ending with a resounding AMEN after he hears ‘in the Name of Jesus.’ Christmas Eve (and much to my joyful surprise), my daughter-in-law said that Vincent had been singing Happy Birthday to Jesus during the day. So, Grammy … remembering she had a cake in the frig, asked the grandchildren if they’d like to have cake and sing happy birthday to Jesus! They jumped for joy. Little Emma ran to put the candles in the cake, and once lit and surrounded by the grandchildren, we paraded from the kitchen to the living room singing. So innocent, so precious, so wondrously special to Grampy and Grammy ~ recognizing the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ ~ the reason for the season.

So as we begin this new year afresh, no matter what goes on around us, I pray your focus stays on your most precious gift ~ Jesus! The Gift that brings you unconditional love, forgiveness, salvation, restoration, peace, joy and eternity with God! To really know Him!!!

“[For my determined purpose is]
that I may know Him
[that I may progressively become more deeply and
intimately acquainted with Him,
perceiving and recognizing and understanding
the wonders of His Person
more strongly and more clearly],
and that I may in that same way come to know the power
outflowing from His resurrection..”
Philippians 3:10 (Amplified)

Since our words and our actions all stem from our heart, let’s start the new year by checking our heart ~ our whole heart. Let’s look inward and listen to what it is saying. Our heart ~ our inner person, inner feelings, deepest thoughts and inner self. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7).

Most of us may quickly say ~ my heart is full of integrity, understanding, compassion toward others, tenderness, giving, helping and feelings of love … and you’d probably be right. However, let’s look and listen to our whole heart, for scripture says that “our heart is deceitful above all things.” (Jeremiah 17:9). What else is our heart saying?

As we listen to our inner thoughts, what we speak and how we act, we may get other clues as to what else is in our heart “… for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45).

Allow yourself a moment to take honest inventory. Don’t worry, there are no surprises to God who intricately created us and knows everything about us ~ and LOVES us unconditionally!!! And, “there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus…” Romans 8:1

I encourage you to spend time with God today ~ and every day ~ checking your heart. For as you acknowledge and release the destructive pieces, there will be room in your heart for pure love, healing, peace, joy, freedom, wisdom and the ability to freely run ~ accomplishing all of the wonderful plans God has intended for you!

Begin the honest inventory, by remembering how much God loves you, and all that He has done for you through Jesus Christ. Then ask Him to gently show you the hidden areas of your heart that may be filled with fear or hate; unforgiveness; disappointments, sorrow, cynicism, resentment, pride, anguish, hurt and the hardness of heart. In this personal conversation ~ prayer ~ humbly come before God, listen and receive His love, His Wisdom, His healing and His grace. “TakeMyyoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest ( relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.” Matthew 11:29

He never intended for us to carry a heavy, burdened heart, even if we’ve learned to mask it with humor and laughter. Instead, if we allow it ~ He intends to carry it for us, while we walk with Him, looking to Him for all His wisdom, understanding, and the good He has planned for us!

“My child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen carefully to my words.
Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
for they bring life to those who find them,
and healing to their whole body.

Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.”

Proverbs 4:20-23 (New Living Translation)

May you have the most blessed 2013! And, if I may encourage you through God’s Word, please contact me coachmichelle@charter.net

“And you shall love the Lord your God out of
and with your wholeheart…” Mark 12:30

A dear friend and I get together a few times a year, meeting for breakfast and what proves to be hours of catching-up. Oh, how I cherish these times together! Most recently our conversation turned to love languages* and the immeasurable value of learning and honoring the love language of those closest to us. We both agreed that my primary love language is Quality Time* ~ togetherness; quality (open, honest, heartfelt) conversation; moments of undivided attention. And, indeed, I cherish quality time with family, friends and clients!

As I get to know the heart of God through scripture and quiet times of prayer, it becomes clear to me that He too desires quality time together with us. Think about how He yearns for us to seek Him; come to Him; draw near, and take refuge in Him. He says to do so diligently and early. (Proverbs 8:17; Jeremiah 29:13) He loves us so much and desires our heartfelt, loving relationship with Him ~ with all our heart, soul and all our mind (intellect). (Matthew 22:37).

And when we stop running away from, but instead run toward His open arms, spending quality time with our Father God, we quickly find His peace, wisdom, love, refuge, refreshing and joy. As we draw near to God, HE draws near to us.

“Let us all come forward and draw near with true (honest and sincere) hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction engendered by faith (by that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness)…” Hebrews 10:22

Maybe quality time is not your primary love language. But, I encourage you to try it ~ just you and your Father God. Since He knows every detail of your life and loves you unconditionally, who better to talk with ~ share your most inner concerns and dreams, and there ~ ask for His wisdom and receive His loving kindness toward you. He doesn’t require eloquence ~ He’s looking for an open, honest, heartfelt conversation ~ Quality Time ~ just you and Him.

Let us rest for a moment …. wrap our hearts and minds around how much God loves us ~ how precious we are in His sight! Remember how God intricately created you ~ you’re not a mistake;
Remember how He forgave you ~ no longer remembering your past … and
Remember how He crowns you with His loving kindness and tender mercy.
Allow yourself … to receive in your spirit, His unfailing, unconditional love toward you … and … know the overwhelming peace that only He can give you! There is a song sung by Kari Jobe called ‘The More I Seek You’and the lyrics are:

“The more I seek you,
The more I find you.
The more I find you, the more I love you.
I wanna sit at your feet,
Drink from the cup in your hand,
Lay back against you and breath, feel your heart beat.
This love is so deep, it’s more than I can stand.I melt in your peace, it’s overwhelming.”

Ahhh …. sit back for a moment today, lean into the love and peace God offers you through Jesus Christ. See yourself through His eyes ~ Youare His Masterpiece! If you need encouragement understanding and remembering who you are in the eyes of God, feel free to contact me at coachmichelle@charter.net. Let me come alongside you and remind you what God’s Word says about you, His precious child!From the Heartwww.fromtheheartlifecoach.com